Here at BrainPOP we strive to keep our content current, relevant and consistently engaging. We work with content experts and advisors to assure the videos and interactive features meet your expectations. This week we introduce our newest advisor: Esther Wojcicki. Esther’s impressive list of accomplishments include: founder of Palo Alto High’s Journalism program, chair at Learning Matters and vice chair at Creative Commons not to mention frequent contributer at the Huffington Postand consultant for the Carnegie Foundation. With these experiences, she brings insight to the development of BrainPOP content in language arts, journalism and social studies.

Esther enjoys BrainPOP because the “videos are easy to use, divided into logical categories, short but not too short and cover the material in an interesting way.” Also, working closely with students in journalism courses, she explains, “kids are expected to do some research themselves, find the information themselves and collaborate with their peers. BrainPOP fits well into this new paradigm since kids can easily watch a variety of videos on their own and then join their group to share new information. Alternatively, they can watch together and then create some kind of project based on the new information they learned.” Frequent readers of this blog know the myriad ways BrainPOP can be incorporated into classroom experience, thanks for the additional ideas Esther!

2 weeks ago, BrainPOP sponsored the Global Education Conference and Esther led a presentation on student driven service learning projects. Click here to hear the webinar and learn how Esther’s educational endeavors are not just changing the role of teacher in classroom, but how her students are using class time to build projects that exist outside the scope of “normal” school. Esther is a teacher and curriculum developer who recognizes the rapid changes in our world, gives power to her students and in turn makes educational experiences meaningful. We are thrilled to have her share her expertise with us. Also, be sure to follow her on twitter @EstherWojcicki.

With all the buzz at BrainPOP about the STEM video game challenge and this week’s Global Education Conference, today we welcome Guest Blogger Laura Brown. Laura is an expatriate science teacher working in Shanghai at Concordia International School. Recently selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator and member of the Learning 2.0 Asia Technology Conference executive committee, Laura is passionate about sharing her experiences in using technology in the classroom and assisting other educators to explore its ability to enrich and deepen student learning for a more authentic understanding.

Most people are well aware of the significant differences between western-style teaching methodologies and a traditional Chinese classroom. The large class sizes, lack of interactive and engaging learning activities, and the broadcast teaching approach, not only limits a student’s ability to think flexibly, it also does not fully meet all students learning styles and many are subsequently left behind.

The Shanghai Education Bureau has recently observed trends that suggest, despite what many would think, the average Chinese student’s understanding of, and ability to apply scientific concepts, is lower than the equivalent age student studying in a western-style classroom. The Bureau has since established a program for International Collaborative Research on Using Multimedia in Science Education, of which BrainPOP is heavily involved.

My role in assisting the Bureau in their push for a shift in the way science is taught, was to invite passionate Chinese teachers in Shanghai to observe a modeled lesson incorporating a range of different technologies, including BrainPOP, designed to engage and extend the thinking and learning of science students.

The modeled lesson was geared at the process of photosynthesis and its role in the transfer and transformation of energy from the Sun, to its use as electrical or chemical energy in the home. Having previously considered the Law of Conservation of Energy, the class worked together to create an interactive flow chart on the SMART board showing the various energy transformations that exist between the Sun and the light bulb. The importance of photosynthesis was recognized and the BrainPOP clip “Photosynthesis: There’s nothing more fun than watching plants eat” was used to introduce the concept. I had the students watch the clip twice. The first time they were to record as many key words as they could. With some discussion of the terms identified, the kids were able to develop a table to assist them in obtaining additional information when watching the BrainPOP for the second time. I personally love this technique as it forces students to view the clip initially as an overview, establishing the purpose, and secondly, addressing an understanding of the concept.

I have used BrainPOP in a variety of different manners: An introductory, summary or revision piece; an appealing way for students to take a set of notes; as additional support for struggling students or extending the learning needs of others; and as a means for revision using quizzes, either individually or as a class.

In order to formatively assess the student’s learning, I had them create an interactive mural showing their understanding of the process of photosynthesis. This digital learning object (featured in the photograph above) can be found here. Reflecting on these murals, proved successful in making decisions upon the direction for future teaching and learning.

More recently, I have discovered the powerful use of animation in the science classroom and its ability to really ‘see’ into the students thinking behind scientific concepts. Animation has allowed me to view student learning from an entirely new angle and to empower them to recognize appropriate means of presenting their knowledge and understanding in a way that they can effectively communicate with a diverse audience. So give it a go – animate the classroom!

It is my hope that through my involvement in this program, I have, and will continue to play, a role in contributing to a shift in thinking toward science education, in China. In short, students throughout the world should be empowered to work toward being technology and media literate within a global communications environment. This mindset drives the decisions I make as an educator.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/11/17/guest-blogger-laura-brown-reflections-on-science-education-in-shanghai/feed/1Newest Advisor: Dr. Henry Adamhttps://educators.brainpop.com/2011/09/22/newest-advisor-dr-henry-adam/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/09/22/newest-advisor-dr-henry-adam/#respondThu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:27 +0000http://educators.brainpop.com/?p=5509At BrainPOP we update the site with new movies, quizzes, games and teaching materials all the time. To ensure that everything we release is of the highest quality, we call on our esteemed education advisors for their guidance and wisdom. Today we welcome the newest member of our BrainPOP advisory board, former Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at... See more »

At BrainPOP we update the site with new movies, quizzes, games and teaching materials all the time. To ensure that everything we release is of the highest quality, we call on our esteemed education advisors for their guidance and wisdom. Today we welcome the newest member of our BrainPOP advisory board, former Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Dr. Henry Adam. Dr. Adam has an impressive bio that you can read here.

BrainPOP educators recently contacted Dr. Adam to hear his thoughts about his newest appointment here at BrainPOP. He writes, “As a pediatrician I’ve been trained to believe that prevention trumps treatment, and prevention of course depends on education. My work both as a clinician with patients and their families, and as an academic with students and house staff has largely been focused on education. So joining BrainPOP seems natural for me.” Well said doc!

We are honored to have Dr. Adam join our board, and we look forward to receiving his guidance as we develop more health related content.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/09/22/newest-advisor-dr-henry-adam/feed/0Webinar Alert: Making Connections with Appshttps://educators.brainpop.com/2011/03/08/webinar-alert-making-connections-with-apps/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/03/08/webinar-alert-making-connections-with-apps/#commentsTue, 08 Mar 2011 10:00:25 +0000http://www.brainpop.com/educators/blog/?p=4253Making Connections with Apps Wednesday, March 9, 2011 4:30 PM EST Duration: 1 Hour Join educational app guru Jayne Clare, a classroom teacher who co-founded the app development company i-itch inc. and Teachers With Apps, a web site that tracks down the best ed apps out there. Jayne and her 6th-graders will show you how... See more »

Join educational app guru Jayne Clare, a classroom teacher who co-founded the app development company i-itch inc. and Teachers With Apps, a web site that tracks down the best ed apps out there. Jayne and her 6th-graders will show you how they use a range of cross-curricular apps that complement our Featured Movie app. You’ll leave the webinar inspired to jump on the app bandwagon yourself!

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/03/08/webinar-alert-making-connections-with-apps/feed/24Webinar Alert: Driving Meaningful Instruction with BrainPOP ESLhttps://educators.brainpop.com/2011/03/01/webinar-alert-driving-meangingul-instruction-with-brainpop-esl/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/03/01/webinar-alert-driving-meangingul-instruction-with-brainpop-esl/#commentsTue, 01 Mar 2011 16:20:17 +0000http://www.brainpop.com/educators/blog/?p=4225Driving Meaningful Instruction with BrainPOP ESL Wednesday, March 2, 2011 4:30 PM EST Duration: 1 Hour Join Anne Scatchell, BrainPOP Educator and ESL teacher, as she shares her experiences using BrainPOP ESL to support her English language learners. Anne will walk you through a series of writing-related lessons based on her own students’ needs. See... See more »

Join Anne Scatchell, BrainPOP Educator and ESL teacher, as she shares her experiences using BrainPOP ESL to support her English language learners. Anne will walk you through a series of writing-related lessons based on her own students’ needs. See how she used BrainPOP ESL to create memorable, meaningful lessons that engage ESL students and provide them with the confidence to use 21st century tools to enrich their learning.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/03/01/webinar-alert-driving-meangingul-instruction-with-brainpop-esl/feed/2Webinar Alert: Driving Meaningful Instruction With BrainPOP ESLhttps://educators.brainpop.com/2011/02/08/webinar-alert-driving-meaningful-instruction-with-brainpop-esl/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/02/08/webinar-alert-driving-meaningful-instruction-with-brainpop-esl/#respondTue, 08 Feb 2011 10:00:11 +0000http://64.106.211.53/educators/blog/?p=4178Driving Meaningful Instruction with BrainPOP ESL Wednesday, February 9, 2011 4:30 PM EST Duration: 1 Hour Join Anne Scatchell, BrainPOP Educator and ESL teacher, as she shares her experiences using BrainPOP ESL to support her English language learners. Anne will walk you through a series of writing-related lessons based on her own students’ needs. See... See more »

Join Anne Scatchell, BrainPOP Educator and ESL teacher, as she shares her experiences using BrainPOP ESL to support her English language learners. Anne will walk you through a series of writing-related lessons based on her own students’ needs. See how she used BrainPOP ESL to create memorable, meaningful lessons that engage ESL students and provide them with the confidence to use 21st century tools to enrich their learning.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/02/08/webinar-alert-driving-meaningful-instruction-with-brainpop-esl/feed/0Guest Blog: Success with DonorsChoosehttps://educators.brainpop.com/2011/01/30/guest-blog-success-with-donorschoose/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/01/30/guest-blog-success-with-donorschoose/#respondSun, 30 Jan 2011 10:00:55 +0000http://64.106.211.53/educators/blog/?p=4080Karyn Keenan is a recent recipient of a donorschoose grant. She teaches 2nd grade in Chicago, and she’s chock full of great ideas! Thanks, Karyn. This summer I decided to work on getting a subscription to Brain Pop, Jr. through Donors Choose. Within twenty days my project was funded and we were looking at starting... See more »

Karyn Keenan is a recent recipient of a donorschoose grant. She teaches 2nd grade in Chicago, and she’s chock full of great ideas! Thanks, Karyn.

This summer I decided to work on getting a subscription to Brain Pop, Jr. through Donors Choose. Within twenty days my project was funded and we were looking at starting the school year with BrainPOP Jr. My students quickly learned that the catchy BrainPOP Jr. theme song meant Annie and Moby would be teaching them something new and making them laugh.

The first thing I do when using BrainPOP Jr. for a lesson is for us to watch the movie. We watch the movie through one time just for watching. Then we watch it a second time, stopping the movie on the blinking pause sign and answering the questions that come up on Annie’s notebook. Sometimes I will have students write their answers to these questions on an exit slip. Other times I will pick a squirmy member of class to be in charge of pushing the pause button on our SMART board.

Whenever we watch a movie I use the closed captioning feature. Closed captioning and viewing the movie twice helps my students, especially my English Language Learners, develop a more thorough understanding of what we are learning.

Each topic in BrainPOP Jr. has a plethora of activities that correspond to the movie. I always look through the activities to decide which might be used as in-class reinforcement (I allow students to go on a classroom computer for additional time on the topic), enrichment for early finishers, or what we might use for an in-class activity. The Belly Up cartoons are one of the best ways to give my English Language Learners experience in making inferences to understand the jokes. BrainPOP Jr. has given my classroom an energetic boost. Lesson planning is easier for me with the high quality activities and my students are engaged in their learning.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/01/30/guest-blog-success-with-donorschoose/feed/0Focus!https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/01/06/focus/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/01/06/focus/#commentsThu, 06 Jan 2011 10:00:45 +0000http://64.106.211.53/educators/blog/?p=3994Special Educator Teacher, Shelley Doherty, from Dater School in Ramsey, NJ, shares some helpful tips she and her colleagues compiled. Thanks, Shelley! Our classified children are often distracted by the end of the lesson, so some of the teachers use BrainPOP to sum up the lesson. We find that they are more focused because they... See more »

Special Educator Teacher, Shelley Doherty, from Dater School in Ramsey, NJ, shares some helpful tips she and her colleagues compiled. Thanks, Shelley!

Our classified children are often distracted by the end of the lesson, so some of the teachers use BrainPOP to sum up the lesson. We find that they are more focused because they are excited to see a BrainPOP movie at the end of a lesson. Although it acts like a culmination review, you can keep students that are often “antsy” in class a little more focused with the promise of BrainPOP. They are now familiar with Tim and Moby and are beginning to call them by name. I think the familiarity is terrific for the students that need the continuity in their daily day schedule.

How do you use BrainPOP to help your students focus and pay attention? Please share comments below.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2011/01/06/focus/feed/2Special Guest Series: BrainPOP in Berlin! Week 2https://educators.brainpop.com/2010/12/20/special-guest-series-brainpop-in-berlin-week-2/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2010/12/20/special-guest-series-brainpop-in-berlin-week-2/#respondMon, 20 Dec 2010 10:00:48 +0000http://64.106.211.53/educators/blog/?p=3891Chris Carter’s saga with BrainPOP ESL in Germany continues… Day Six (Week Two) Student C is still not satisfied. She’s frustrated that Ben has spent all this time explaining every little thing to Moby and he still can’t say one word. She points out that student D, who has only been watching Ben for a... See more »

Student C is still not satisfied. She’s frustrated that Ben has spent all this time explaining every little thing to Moby and he still can’t say one word. She points out that student D, who has only been watching Ben for a week, can already make whole sentences.

Day Seven

At level 1.3, I made the mistake of showing the movie, Words to Know, and Facts to Know straight through without a break. We only got about three seconds into Facts to Know before Student C called out (in German) “Boring!” A quick scan of the room showed me she wasn’t the only one who thought. I quickly went to the Play It activity and called three students up.

I always call three at a time. It goes faster that way. I also allow them to whisper to each other at the board. I like to see knowledge spread. The first three students listened to the prompts and clicked off the first three cascading pictures. Actually, we all listened to the prompts. There was a great deal of calling out from the rest of the class when Student H let the right picture slide by. They were relieved when it came by again a few seconds later and she nailed it. Then I called up the next three students. I use a class list to make sure everyone gets on the whiteboard every day.

Day Nine

Today we walked to Alexander Plads and took a train to a forest in West Berlin. I found myself mimicking Ben. Not just what he says, but his careful enunciation too. “Be Careful!” I said. “Don’t stop!” I called.

Some of the students picked up on this. In the forest, Student B picked up a rock and pretended to make a phone call with it. Then she said, “It is not a telephone. It’s a rock.” Student P said to student L, “You are not a pretty flower.”

Stay posted as the journey continues! Using BrainPOP internationally? We’d love to hear about it!

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2010/12/20/special-guest-series-brainpop-in-berlin-week-2/feed/0Special Guest Series: Moby Goes Globalhttps://educators.brainpop.com/2010/12/16/special-guest-series-moby-goes-global-2/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2010/12/16/special-guest-series-moby-goes-global-2/#respondThu, 16 Dec 2010 10:00:19 +0000http://64.106.211.53/educators/blog/?p=3949Mitch Norris is an Apple Distinguished Educator and the ICT specialist for Kindergarten to Grade 7 at the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan. You can find him at his website www.misternorris.com or on Twitter at @misternorris. Here at the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, we have been using... See more »

Mitch Norris is an Apple Distinguished Educator and the ICT specialist for Kindergarten to Grade 7 at the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan. You can find him at his website www.misternorris.com or on Twitter at @misternorris.

Here at the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, we have been using BrainPOP for a number of years. We encourage all of the teachers to use it in their classroom to replace the ‘chalk and talk’ when introducing a topic or even at the end of a topic to reinforce meaning as well as assess for understanding.

So at the moment, Grade 2 has been doing a unit on Nutrition, and being the ICT teacher, I thought I would do the BrainPOP Jr. video on the food pyramid with them. Kindergarten through Grade 2 were lucky enough to receive a shared set of Macbooks this year, so with each student equipped with a laptop and a pair of headphones, they set out to watch the BrainPOP Jr. video on the food pyramid. After the video, they completed the online quiz and saved it as a PDF so their homeroom teacher could use it as an assessment task and the students could use it in their portfolio if they choose.

Next, I grouped the students up, gave them a pre-printed game card, and set them on their way to complete the game. You can see a video of the students playing the game here:

The students loved the lesson and were all engaged in their learning, through the help of technology and BrainPOP Jr. We may also watch the new Eating Right video soon to further their knowledge of healthy eating and nutrition.

I keep the parents up to date on what is happening in their child’s ICT class on my blog, www.misternorris.com . You can see the post that I sent home to the parents about the lesson here.

I definitely recommend BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. to all elementary and junior high schools. The students love it and it’s a great tool for teachers to assess understanding and engage their students in their learning.

How are you using BrainPOP internationally with students? Please share ideas below!